


The Raven

by Promise



Series: Daemons of Zesty Faith [1]
Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Angst with a Happy Ending, Daemon Touching, Daemons, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Light Angst, M/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 04:09:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5991235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Promise/pseuds/Promise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Dezel's death, the party rests in an inn, and our two innocent baby boys discuss stuff vaguely.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Raven

It’s unnaturally quiet.

The familiar thumps of Ezekiel’s are non-existent; and Raguel’s high-pitched cries could not be heard.

On Sorey’s lap, Nuriel trembles against his fingers, and Sorey’s touch lingers on his daemon. The loss of Augzhir and Dezel is keenly felt by both; a chasm that could never quite be filled. It devours, and gorges itself in a repeating cycle of many a ‘what could I have done’ and ‘this is all my fault’. Just like when Mason and Ariel had died, swallowed whole, when neither could feel the presence of a Seraph and their daemon. Just like when Heldalf’s overpowering malevolence had also severed his and Nuriel’s bonds, essentially destroying his calm.

Unnatural; it’s simply not right to not see Augzhir surveying them with those diligent eyes.

The door clicks and Sorey gulps down his thought process. Both he and Nuriel raise their heads to see Mikleo carrying a tray of food in his hands, and Skadi on his shoulder. The door closes behind the seraph, and Skadi catches the other daemon’s eye. Nuriel inadvertently digs his claws into Sorey’s pants and a white-blue tail flicks and sways in the air.

“Thanks,” Sorey says, and Mikleo replies, “Don’t thank me.”

Skadi meows and bounds off her counterpart, landing on the bed near where Mikleo soon settles. Nuriel retrieves his claws, leaves his, and both pairs stay in merciful silence, broken only by nonchalant questions on how the other members of their party are doing and the chewing of food. The malevolence had been reduced; now merely a reminder instead of an endless storm. When Sorey focuses, he senses nothing could renew that darkness. His shoulders relax. Good. That means…

“You shouldn’t do that,” Mikleo suddenly says.

Nuriel pauses and glances over, face amusingly similar to his human’s. “What?” Sorey says, voice tinged with confusion.

The seraph’s eyes darken and Skadi’s ear twitches before she pads closer to him. “We don’t keep anything from each other, do we?”

Thoughts of Augzhir’s clipped wings, her bleeding out alongside Dezel, flash through Sorey’s mind; overlaid with images of a dissolving Skadi. The white feline is stretched across the cold stone, shaking with her limbs being fog, mouth wide and gasping- he bites down on his tongue. Mikleo’s violet eyes spark, as if reading his thoughts, and his daemon settles down on her front paws.

“It’s not your burden to bear,” he murmurs, left hand caressing Skadi in slow sweeps. She inclines her head in response. “Nor is it Nuriel’s.”

His head ducks away and silvery-blue bangs cover his face. The metal form of his circlet glints in the dull glow of the overhead lights, and Sorey feels the familiar heaviness in his chest lifting ever so slightly. “It’s our dream,” he echoes, and a watery smile curves his lips. A small comfort, a reminder more like, but it would be enough. For what it is, the corners of Mikleo’s lips lift at his words. Nuriel darts over, and both of them shiver when their daemons press themselves against each other.

_Been a while_ , Skadi quips and nudges Nuriel with her nose.

_Too long_ , the otter agrees and Mikleo raises his head at that, flush red on pale cheeks, while Sorey laughs. The sound resonates and rattles within him, and Mikleo could only let out a gasp before he is abruptly pushed back into the mattress, limbs akimbo and aquamarine bangs in disarray as Sorey’s larger shadow looms over him.

Close by, Mikleo hears a squawked meow and sees Skadi’s limbs entangled with Nuriel’s. He blushes an even darker red when a familiar rush – _of comfort, of warmth, of togetherness_ – accompanies the sight. Quietly, he mumbles out “Sorey…?” and gives the same shocked squawk as his daemon when the Shepherd pulls him into a crushing hug.

“Sorey!” he shrieks and pushes, and freezes when he feels Sorey dip down- the mattress strains, a hot breath fanning across his cheek and ear - followed by a, “Thank you.”

Mikleo closes his eyes and huffs out good-naturedly, “Don’t thank me.” The cool note in his voice, however, is overthrown by the sharp inhale that follows. Soft brown fur rubs against the back of his hand. He needs not look to see what – or rather, who – it is, instead widening his eyes at his friend in shock.

“Are you sure?” the seraph murmurs, raising his hand.

In response, Sorey untangles himself from Mikleo, and his green eyes glimmer brightly. “Yeah.”

The water seraph hesitates before shifting his position to rest against the wooden headboard. A wavering hand reaches out towards Nuriel, who trots forward to rest his upper body on Mikleo’s thigh. He darts a look at Sorey, who smiles back with the calm of a summer’s day, and finally runs his hand down the otter’s stomach.

The effect is instantaneous and, to the seraph’s delight, extremely noticeable. The same red that has since faded to pale pink on Mikleo’s cheeks now erupt across the Shepherd’s entire face. Sorey lets out a noise half-sigh, half-strangled. If that is not a hint enough, Nuriel rolls himself over to lay on his back, inviting more of Mikleo’s touch.

It’s an old action. Back in Elysia, they had noticed only Barachiel flying about; other Seraphim kept their daemons close by. When Gramps had told them of the intimacy of touching another’s daemon, it had made sense since they too felt unease whenever Nuriel or Skadi wandered far, but it had also ignited curiosity in them. Needless to say…

The first time was weird; the second calmer, and the third mutual bliss.

There is something to be said about letting your partner glimpse at your true self, but nothing of it could be explained in words.

Mikleo closes his eyes and breathes out shakily when that feeling rushes over him, only intensified. He knows how Skadi is being held then; white paws and head on Sorey’s arm, the rest of herself limp in his lap, tail flicking over his knees. The daemon purrs, Nuriel nuzzles, and seraph and human allow familiarizing themselves once again, with the deepest parts of one another.

It was the same back then, as it is now. A simple reaffirmation of their trust and bond.

_It’s enough_ , Nuriel sends to the seraph, pressing his nose against Mikleo’s palm. _It will be_ , he insists.

His lips twitch. Mikleo gathers the otter into his arms, and scraps his nails down his underbelly. Nuriel squirms, and another tsunami of emotion almost pulls Mikleo under, before he regains his bearings and opens his eyes. Skadi seems to wink at him before curling herself around Sorey.

_We won’t allow you to forget it_ , Skadi mumbles and sinks her face into the crook of Sorey’s neck.

Sorey, inhaling the scent of cascading waterfalls and pure snow, nods.

**Author's Note:**

> crying this is the first fanfiction I have ever completed (and the first M/M-pairing-as-main I have ever done) these two boys have ruined me i have not written in forever what am i doing also this is super short how is it this short??


End file.
